The directors of Marine Response Alliance LLC (MRA or Alliance) announced that McAllister Towing and Transportation Co., Inc. (McAllister) has joined the MRA as a full and equal member. McAllister is now united with the other MRA member companies—Crowley Marine Services, Inc. (Crowley), Marine Pollution Control Corporation (MPC), Titan Maritime LLC (Titan) and Marine Hazard Response (MHR) (a joint venture of Wild Well Control, Inc. and Williams Fire and Hazard Control, Inc.) to provide OPA-90 Salvage and Marine Firefighting services to the maritime community.

McAllister is one of the oldest and largest marine towing and transportation companies in the United States, operating a fleet of more than 70 tugboats and 12 barges along the entire East Coast from Portland, Maine to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The corporate headquarters is located in New York City with additional staffed offices in Portland, Fall River, Mass., Providence, R.I., Staten Island, N.Y., Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk, Va., Wilmington, N.C., Georgetown, S.C., Charleston, S.C., Jacksonville Fla., Port Everglades, Fla., and San Juan. In each port, McAllister is engaged in ship docking, general harbor towing, coastal towing, rescue towing and bulk transportation servicing more than 600 major steamship companies.

The expanded MRA will provide unparalleled access to comprehensive emergency response services. The MRA provides OPA ’90 compliant capabilities for rescue towing, lightering, salvage and firefighting services in all U.S. Captain of the Port zones. Regulatory changes in OPA-90 Salvage and Marine Firefighting Regulations prompted MRA to expand and strengthen its capabilities. With the addition of McAllister, the Alliance has enhanced its existing emergency towing capability and solidified its position as the premier provider of marine emergency response services.

“We offer the most complete salvage and marine firefighting package of services available,” said Dan Schwall, one of the directors of the Alliance. “The addition of McAllister to Crowley’s already extensive rescue towing, tug and barge services results in an unprecedented tug capability in the U.S. with tugs now available for emergency response on all three U.S. coasts. McAllister’s fleet will also provide additional response platforms for the other member companies, MPC for lightering, Titan for salvage and MHR for marine firefighting response services.” Buckley McAllister, a new director of the Alliance from McAllister, said, "We are pleased to have the opportunity to team up with Crowley, Titan, MPC and MHR as a full member of the MRA. We are excited to be part of consortium that provides the worldwide shipping community with a one-stop call for emergency towing, lightering, salvage and marine firefighting services. We believe that the MRA team members have more than proven themselves via their extensive and impressive resume of successful jobs and we look forward to being part of MRA’s future."

“This expansion demonstrates the continuing commitment of the Alliance in investing in the infrastructure necessary to meet the needs of our clients,” said Margaret Kaigh Doyle, MRA general manager. “The U.S. Coast Guard salvage and marine firefighting regulations that take effect next year are all about having the resources, assets and ability to properly respond in all of the required geographic areas. The Alliance has gone above and beyond to ensure that our clients’ vessels are fully compliant and - more importantly - covered by the most capable resources available. We’re changing so our clients don’t have to”.

“The combined resources of the Alliance provide clients with more than 11,000 full-time employees and a fleet of over 370 vessels owned and operated by the five MRA member companies. This capability is unprecedented anywhere in the world” said Ms. Doyle

Since 1994, MRA has provided access to marine emergency response services through a “one call” approach for both drills and actual response efforts. The Alliance relies on the member companies’ equipment and personnel to initiate emergency response within hours—or often minutes—of notice. The alliance of Crowley, MPC, TITAN, MHR and now McAllister ensures MRA customers have access to high horsepower tugs, lightering barges, portable pumping equipment, marine fenders, salvage gear and expertise, firefighting equipment and trained firefighters to meet federal and state requirements.